Polygonal building structure

ABSTRACT

An improved building structure having a substantially polygonal shape which may be speedily assembled without the use of special tools is disclosed. The polygonal building has three basic structural components which are the floor panels, the wall panels and roof panels. The floor panels are triangular sections radially placed in a circle to form a disc. The wall panels are rectangular sections placed around the circumference to form a ring. The roof panels are triangular sections radially placed in a circle over the walls to form a cone. The panels interlock with one another by way of a novel tongue and groove arrangement and are banded together by way of unique rigid plates to form a strong integral structural unit. The building components may be prefabricated and the building may be speedily assembled at the preselected building site.

[ POLYGONAL BUILDING STRUCTURE [76] Inventor: Detvel Preissler, 915 26th St. N.W.,

Washington, DC. 20037 [22] Filed: Jan. 27, 1973 [2]] Appl. No.: 325,132

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 107,055, Jan. 18,

1971, abandoned.

[52] US. Cl. 52/82, 52/237 [51] Int. Cl E04b 7/02 [58] Field of Search 52/82, 237, 248, 73

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,524,126 10/1950 Howard 52/248 2,782,463 2/1957 Berguall 1 52/264 3,277,620 10/1966 Martin 52/237 3,452,493 7/1969 Mims 52/73 3,633,325 1/1972 Bartoli 52/237 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 571,061 2/1959 Canada 52/248 1111 3,827,200 1451 Aug. 6, 1974 Primary Examiner-John E. Murtagh Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Donald S. Lilly 5 7 ABSTRACT An improved building structure having a substantially polygonal shape which may be speedily assembled without the use of special tools is disclosed. The polygonal building has three basic structural components which are the floor panels, the wall panels and roof panels. The floor panels are triangular sections radially placed in a circle to form a disc. The wall panels are rectangular sections placed around the circumference to form a ring. The roof panels are triangular sections radially placed in a circle over the walls to form a cone. The panels interlock with one another by way of a novel tongue and groove arrangement and are banded together by way of unique rigid plates to form a strong integral structural unit. The building components may be prefabricated and the building may be speedily assembled at the preselected building site.

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INVENTOR DETLE v PRE/SSLER ATTORNEY 1 POLYGONAL BUILDING STRUCTURE i The present application is a continuation in-part of U.S. Ser. No. l07,055 filed Jan. 18, 1971, now abandoned.

The present invention relates to building structures and more particularly, to an improved prefabricated polygonal building structure that may be speedily assembled to form a strong, integral unit.

As known in the art, polygonal buildings, such as discolsed, for example, in US. Pat. Nos. 3,068,534 and 3,] 19,153 have a number of advantages over conventional rectangular buildings. Thus, due to the geometric properties of the polygonal structure, the building can be built with more strength for a given amount of material, has more efficient utilization of interior space, fewer component parts for a completed structure, and is more flexible for interior arrangements as well as external placement of doors, windows, and the like.

In summary, the present invention is directed to a polygonal building having a plurality of structural panels secured together to form the floor, roof and interior and exterior walls. The unique building of the invention is a very strong, integral structure in the form of a regular polygon. In its broadest aspects, the building of the present invention comprises three basic structural components. These are the floor panels, wall panels and roof panels. No interior supports are required. The floor panels are wedge-shaped or triangular sections radially placed in a circle to form a disc. The wall panels are rectangular sections placed around the circumference to form a ring. The roof panels are also wedgeshaped sections radially placed in a circle over the walls to form a cone. The panels interlock with one another in a unique manner, with the wall panels being banded together to for a strong integral structural unit, as to be described in detail hereinafter.

As will readily be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the component parts of the unique building of the invention may be prefabricated at the factory and, due to the light weight and compactness of the component parts, can be simply and relatively inexpensively shipped to the chosen building site. Also since the sections or panels which comprise the component parts are easily handled and are adapted to interlock in such a way that novel rigid plate members serve to retain the several parts in strong assembled relationship, the unique building structure may be speedily assembled by unskilled or semi-skilled labor without the use of special tools or equipment. If desired the structure may be erected in such a manner that it can be readily disassembled.

It is accordingly a general object of the invention to provide a new and improved prefabricated building structure of preformed panels or sections which are assembled to provide the floor, roof and walls of the building.

Another and more particular object of the invention is to provide a new and improved economical prefabricated building structure having a substantially polygonal shape and which may be speedily assembled without the use of special tools or equipment.

Yet another object is to provide a prefabricated polygonal building structure having three major components which are the floor panels, wall panels and roof panels, said component parts being banded together in an unique manner to form an integral structural unit.

A further object is to provide a unique building structure comprising floor panels, wall panels and roof panels, said panels being adapted to interlock in such a way that they cannot become dislodged.

Still a further object is to provide a unique building structure having only three basic building components and, due to its radial symmetry, readily lends itself to flexible interior arrangements and exterior placement of doors, windows and the like.

The manner in which the foregoing and other objects are achieved in accordance with the present invention will be better understood in view of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the unique polygonal building structure of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the structure of FIG. 1 with parts broken away for clarity;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one of the wall panels;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic vertical sectional view, through the structure of FIG. 1, taken along lines 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along lines 55 of FIGS. 2 and 6;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view, taken along lines 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view, through a joint of the wall panels, taken along lines 7-7 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view through a joint of the floor panels, taken along lines 8-8 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view through the apex of the roof, taken along lines 9-9 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the floor panels; and

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the roof panels.

Turning now to the drawings in detail and first to FIG. 1 there is shown a particularly advantageous embodiment of the building structure of the present invention, indicated generally at 1. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 the building is a dwelling house. However it will be readily understood that the principles of construction, as set forth in detail hereinafter, are readily applicable to other types of buildings. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the building may rest upon a suitable foundation indicated as individual footings or pilings 2. The pilings are provided at the corners of the building, i.e., around its outer periphery, and may also be provided at the inner periphery as shown in FIG. 2.

As indicated, the building structure of the present invention is polygonal in shape. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the building has 28 side walls arranged concentrically around its vertical axis. As briefly discussed above, the unique structure of the invention includes three basic building components. These are: floor panels 10, wall panels 20 and roof panels 30. The wall panels 20 are rectangular, each panel being identical to each other except that windows of varying sizes, etc., may be employed in one or more of the panels. The segmental roof panels 30 are wedge or triangular shaped members which are radially placed in a circle over the walls to form a cone.

Turning now to the more specific details of the invention and with reference to FIG. 10, the triangular shaped floor panel consists of converging joists l1 and 12 and transverse support members indicated generally at 13. Enclosing the joist and support members, to form the top and bottom surfaces of the floor sections, are cover sheets 14 and 15. The cover sheets are conventionally sheets of plywood, resin impregnated fiber board, etc., and may be of substantial strength in and of themselves. The joists on one side of each floor panel is provided with a longitudinal extending, substantially rectangular or square shaped recess 16 which extends throughout the entire length of the joist. The joist on the opposite side of said panel is provided with a longitudinal rectangular or square shaped protrusion or batten 17. The batten may be integral with the joist itself or may comprise, for example, a l by 2 inches wood strip secured to the side of the joist as by screws or nails. As will be best seen from FIG. 8 when the floor panels are laid in side by side relation to form the floor, the batten of one joist interlocks with the mating recess of the opposite floor section.

It should be noted at this point that the square joint provided by the mating tongue and groove as shown e.g., in FIG. 8 has a distinct advantage over the conventionally used round tongue and groove joints. Thus in a round tongue and groove design even the slightest opening will introduce a vertical and horizontal play. In a building structure or embodiment such as shown in the instant drawings, the play may be as much as one-fourth inch. Thus if the opening is up to one-fourth inch on each joint, the interlock between panels on which the total design concept depends, is lost, and the roof may fail since the design depends on the unison of the panels supporting each other. On the other hand, however, the design of the square joint overcomes this because, even though the panel joints are opened up to one-half inch in a lateral or horizontal manner, the panels allow no vertical play and as such, the panels still interlock and support each other. As to be described in detail hereinbelow, the use of novel rigid plate members (which encircle the wall panels) in combination with the square joints, have been found to be particularly advantageous.

The floor panels 10 are secured directly to the foundation or footings through the medium of suitable anchor bolts (not shown) secured in the latter. Thus it will be appreciated that the floor panels are completely integrated in the piling structure and that laterally adjacent floor sections are mutually supported and interlocked with one another by the battens and recesses illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 10. Preferrably, a relatively thick, e. g., 3 inches, rockwool insulation blanket is provided between the joists and support members of the laminated plywood floor panel.

With reference first to FIG. 3 the walls comprise prefabricated, generally rectangular panels 20. Each wall section has a floor plate 21, side edge studs 22 and 23 and a top wall member 24. Suitable transverse bearing members 25 may be provided if desired. The individual wall panels are provided or covered by outer and inner cover sheets 26 and 27, said sheets being typically plywood of a suitable thickness. Preferably the cover panels comprise a single sheet which contributes significantly to the frame strength and stability. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the outer cover sheet 26 extends beyond the floor plate 21 such that it overlaps the outer transverse support member of the floor panels 10.

As will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art, the construction of the floor and wall panels are particularly advantageous inasmuch as they are easily constructed, light in weight and further provide a dead air space intermediate the cover sheets. As indicated above, however, it has been found to be particularly advantageous to fill the dead air space with a suitable in sulating material such as the above discussed rockwool insulation, fiberglass or the like.

As shown in FIG. 8, the adjoining side edges of the wall sections are secured together or interlocked in a manner similar to that described hereinabovc for the floor panels. That is, the stud (such as 22) on one side of the wall panel is provided with a rectangular recess 28 that extends longitudinally throughout its entire length. The stud on the opposite side is provided with a projection or batten 29 which likewise extends the entire longitudinal length of the stud. Thus when the wall panels 20 are placed in side by side relation to form the walls of the building structure, the corresponding mating battens and recesses interlock to form a strong, integral structure. If desired the joint formed by corresponding side edges of the wall sections may be provided with an exterior wall batten (not shown) comprising a strip of wood or angle iron that is bent at its center to conform to the angular disposition of the wall panels forming the side walls of the polygonal structure.

The wall panels may also be provided with any suitable number of windows as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 5 of any given or desired shape and size. The windows may be fixed or movable. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 the window 40 is fixed and is secured to the wall panel by means of upper and lower window sills 41 and 42, respectively. At least one wall panel is provided with a door and in a manner well known in the art.

As shown in FIG. 5, the wall panels 20 are secured to the floor panels by means of a suitable lag bolt 45. However, it should be understood that any suitable means may be employed, as is well known in the art. If desired, e.g., a wall sill may be first secured or mounted on the outer edges of the floor panels with the wall panels being then mounted on the wall sill.

With reference now to FIGS. 1, 5 and 11, roof panels 30 slope upwardly and inwardly toward the apex located in alignment with the vertical axis of the building 1. The roof panels, indicated at 30, are of a generally triangular configuration and overlap the side walls 9. While the individual triangular roof panels 30 may be constructed in a manner similar to the floor panels l0, they are preferably prefabricated in the manner illustrated in FIG. 11. In this embodiment each panel comprises converging rafters or joists 31, 32 and 33 and transverse bearing members 34. The opposite sides of the converging rafters or joists 31 and 32 are provided with longitudinally extending recesses and battens, as shown in FIG. 11, such that when the individual roof sections are radially placed in a side by side relationship they form an interlocking structure in the manner as described for the individual floor and wall panels; The use of the square joint for the roof panels is particularly significant. The roof panels 30 are covered with top and bottom cover sheets 35 and 36 respectively which are spaced apart by the-above described framing.

Preferably the top or exterior cover sheet is coated with a suitable roofing material as known in the art.

With reference to FIG. 9 the inner ends 37 of the roof sections are received in a clamping member indicated generally at 50. The clamping member consists of an upper disc 51 and a lower disc 52 secured together by any suitable means, such as a bolt 53. A conical cap of a suitable flashing material may be fitted to the upper disc 51 to seal this portion of the roof against the entrance of moisture. When in abutment with the clamping member 50, the inner ends of the roof sections are clamped between the disc and held so that relative movement cannot take place. If desired, tapered batten strips (not shown) may be secured along the abutting edges of the roof panels 30.

As will be seen from the above, the individual building components of the present invention are designed such that they interlock with one another and may be assembled to form a very strong structural unit. In this regard, prior artisans in this field have always employed a flexible member, such as a cable, which encircles the wall sections and prevents displacement, or relative movement, of the individual building components. An

example of this technique is disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,1 19,153. However, it has been found that such constricting bands or cables suffer from a number of serious disadvantages including movement of the cable relative to the peripheral walls. Thus a flexible band or cable, by design, has the ability to flex or give. If a strong load (such as a heavy snow or wind) is applied to ring, even a tightly tensioned band or cable will give. This in turn permits the joints to slightly open up. This is particularly significant, as discussed above, if round tongue and groove joints are employed. Further the use of a cable or flexible band is restricted to a limited size object. For example, their use for a water tower or silo having a diameter of less than feet is generally satisfactory. However, if used around a structure as described in the present invention, (i.e., a dwelling or building which may have a diameter of 35 feet) it is not possible to secure a cable around a large diameter structure and at the same time get an even or equal tension strength on the front or back. If the cable or flexible band is tensioned to the required maximum strength, the uneven tension tends to crush the structure at a tension side. In other words, undue pressure is created at the locking point or points.

In accordance with the present invention, it has been discovered that the aforementioned disadvantages of the flexible bands can be overcome by providing a rigid metallic plate or strip which is bent to conform to the disposition of the sections forming the side walls of the polygonal building. In this regard there is shown in FIG. 6 a particularly advantageous embodiment of the retaining member of the present invention which comprises a rigid plate 60 of a size and shape to conform to angular disposition of the wall panels 20. In the embodiment of FIG. 6, the rigid band is bent at points 61, 62 and 63 such that same may be employed to encircle four individual wall panels. In the drawings the building unit of the invention is shown to have 28 walls. Thus if the embodiment of FIG. 6 were employed, 7 individual rigid plates or strips 60 wouldbe required. The rigid plate 60 may be secured in any suitable fashion. However, preferably the outer ends thereof are provided with shoulders 64 and 65 which are adopted to receive a conventional nut and bolt arrangement generally indicated at 66. The upper portion of the wall panels 20 may be provided with L-shaped shoulders in which the rigid plate may be received and initially supported. As indicated, the rigid plate 60, unlike flexible cables, will not flex or give and to the end may comprise a /2 X 3 inches steel (or stainless steel) plate or bar. Other sizes, e.g., X 2 inches; X 4 inches etc., may be used as long as same meets the basic requirements of being rigid. That is, not bending or flexible, stiff: as, a rigid metal girder," the latter being taken from Websters New World Dictionary.

The fact that the rigid band is in many sections is significant since it can be tightened evenly to provide an equal and uniform compression ratio. It has been discovered that the combination of the square tongue and groove and the inflexible or rigid band (which may be of a suitable material or metal, e.g., steel, etc.) is the only way to make a structure of a relatively large size (e.g., 35 foot diameter dwelling) acceptable to engineering standards and various engineering or state building codes.

In assembling the unique building structure of the present invention, the foundation, i.e., the piers or pilings 2 are first installed. As known in the art, the piers must be properly anchored. The triangular shaped floor panels 10 are then radially placed in side by side, interlocking relationship, to form a circular platform. After the floor panels have been assembled and secured, the first wall panel is temporarily secured in a vertical position. The remaining wall sections are then progressively added until the side of the building is completed. As each wall panel is placed in position the lag bolts tying the panels to the floor are loosely tightened. Next the roof clamping member 50 is temporarily supported at the required height above the center of the floor and a roof panel is secured to the wall and clamping member. At a point approximately opposite the first roof panel, a second panel is fitted to serve as a buttress for the first panel. The remaining roof panels are lifted and secured in place. As described above, the individual roof panels overlap the wall sections. In this regard, the roof section is preferably secured to the wall sections by means of a screw 46 as illustrated in FIG. 5. As shown, the top wall plate 24 is beveled to receive the roof panel. If employed, the roof and wall battens are next assembled and installed in place. The rigid plates 60 are preferably fastened in place after the wall panels have been erected. The individual rigid plate members should be initially bolted together loosely and tightened after the roof panels have been erected.

In view of the above it will be seen that the present invention provides a unique prefabricated building structure, particularly adapted for residential construction. Basically the improved structure includes concentric polygonal walls, wedge-shaped roof and floor panels and a rigid plate or bar-like restraining member positioned near the top of the wall panels. The utilization of the polygonal shape provides a structure of simple design which is very rigid.

While preferred embodiments have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that numerous modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims. For example, in place of the square joints illustrated in the drawings, the opposing sides of the various panels may be provided with mating rectangular recesses in which a rectangular splene is inserted. Also of course, various additions that tend to enhance the aesthetic value (as well as the structural strength thereof) of the dwelling may be employed. Thus as shown in FIG. 1 a concrete (or the like) wall or frame may be used to enclose the piers 2. As shown in FIG. 5, horizontal plywood elements 47 may also be employed.

What is claimed is:

1. An improved integral building structure in the form of a regular polygon and having preformed panels which are assembled to provide the floor, roof, and walls of the building, said building structure comprising: a floor composed of a number of identical generally triangular floor panels of equal size, each panel having side edges and butt edges, said panels being assembled with their apices inwards and side edges contiguous, the adjacent abutting edges of said triangular floor panels having mating battens and recesses which interlock with one another; a wall sill member secured to the butt edge of each floor panel; a wall comprising substantially rectangular panels of equal size and shape and in numbers equal to the number of sides of the floor polygon formed by said floor panels, each wall panel having top, bottom, and side edges, the adjacent abutting side edges of said wall panels having mating battens and recesses which interlock with one another; a roof supported on the wall, said roof including identical generally triangular roof panels equal in number to the number of wall panels, each roof panel having side edges and butt edges, said roof panels being assembled with their tips inwards and their side edges contiguous, the adjacent abutting side edges of the roof panels having mating battens and recesses which interlock with one another; said interlocking battens and recesses of said floor, wall and roof panels having a substantially rectangular cross section; a clamping member having a lower disc and an upper disc, bolt means securing said disc, said clamping member covering the apices of the roof panels to prevent relative movement thereof; and rigid constricting plate members encircling the peripheral wall formed by said wall panels, said plate members being bent to conform to the disposition of the panels forming said side walls and being secured to one another, adjacent to the upper ends of said wall panels, said rigid plate members further being of a size so as-to encircle at least two individual wall panels, and means for tightening the rigid plate members about the building. 

1. An improved integral building structure in the form of a regular polygon and having preformed panels which are assembled to provide the floor, roof, and walls of the building, said building structure comprising: a floor composed of a number of identical generally triangular floor panels of equal size, each panel having side edges and butt edges, said panels being assembled with their apices inwards and side edges contiguous, the adjacent abutting edges of said triangular floor panels having mating battens and recesses which interlock with one another; a wall sill member secured to the butt edge of each floor panel; a wall comprising substantially rectangular panels of equal size and shape and in numbers equal to the number of sides of the floor polygon formed by said floor panels, each wall panel having top, bottom, and side edges, the adjacent abutting side edges of said wall panels having mating battens and recesses which interlock with one another; a roof supported on the wall, said roof including identical generally triangular roof panels equal in number to the number of wall panels, each roof panel having side edges and butt edges, said roof panels being assembled with theiR tips inwards and their side edges contiguous, the adjacent abutting side edges of the roof panels having mating battens and recesses which interlock with one another; said interlocking battens and recesses of said floor, wall and roof panels having a substantially rectangular cross section; a clamping member having a lower disc and an upper disc, bolt means securing said disc, said clamping member covering the apices of the roof panels to prevent relative movement thereof; and rigid constricting plate members encircling the peripheral wall formed by said wall panels, said plate members being bent to conform to the disposition of the panels forming said side walls and being secured to one another, adjacent to the upper ends of said wall panels, said rigid plate members further being of a size so as to encircle at least two individual wall panels, and means for tightening the rigid plate members about the building. 